Tuesday, 17 January 2012

The latest scare: Global warming turns clownfish to alcoholics

CO2-happy clownfish?

The New Scientist brings us the latest global warming scare:

Carbon dioxide in the ocean acts like alcohol on fish, leaving them less able to judge risks and prone to losing their senses. The intoxication adds to the threats that global warming and ocean acidification pose to marine ecosystems.

Luckily, an Australian and a Norwegian scientist have already found a way to cure serious cases of hangover in the clownfish community:

Treating the clownfish bred under CO2-rich conditions with gabazine, a chemical that blocks the GABA-A receptor, helped them to regain their senses, though: fish treated this way swam towards the predatory smell only 12 per cent of the time.